Hartley Pit Disaster

Church and Council join forces to promote mining heritage

Visitors to St Alban’s Church in Earsdon will be able to learn about one of the North East’s most disastrous mining accidents following the installation of a heritage information panel.

The panel in St Alban’s churchyard tells the story of the Hartley Pit Disaster of 1862 in which 204 men and boys perished. New Hartley was then in the parish of Earsdon and many of the victims were laid to rest in the graveyard.

Vicar of Earsdon, the Revd Andrew France said, “The colourful panel gives a poignant account of the disaster and is illustrated with many moving images. The panel will be of particular interest to those visiting the Hartley Memorial which is behind St Alban’s Church.”

North Tyneside Council helped to secure the funding for the project from the Sita Trust.